Improvement in pressure-gages for presses



2Shee`ts-FSheet1. C. H. WESTON XL1. DENNIS.

Pressure Gages for Presses. No.l50,H5. PatentedApril21,1e74.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2f yc. H. wEsToN sus. Dumas. Pressure Gags for Presses.

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rilNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. WESTON AND JOHN DENNIS, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSURE-GAGES FOR PRESSS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,115, dated April 21. 1874; application filed December 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. WESTON and JOHN DENNIS, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presses; and do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the combination, with a press, of a weighing mechanism, and indicator to show the amount of pressure, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a screw-press embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3, a plan view; and Fig. 41 a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is an interior view of the indicator.

A represents the bed or base of a presswith four corner-posts, B B, and top C. D represents the follower, with screw, E, to press the desired material. In a screw-press of the class shown, the top C rests upon collars a a on the corner-posts, and is held tightly down ou the same by nuts b b or other suitable means. But in this case Iinterpose a wei ghin g-leverbetween the top C andY nut b. G G represent two of these levers at one end of the press, and G1 G1 the other two levers at the oth er end of the press. All these levers are slotted, to pass over or straddle the corner-posts, andare held down by a washer, d, and nut b. Each lever rests upon the top C by a knife-edge, at the inner side of the corner-post which it straddles, and the washer d bears down on a knife-edge, y, formed on the upper side of the end of the lever. The edge y is farther out than the edge x, so that when the pressure is applied on the under side of the top C the levers will turn on the edges y y, throwing their inner ends upward. The levers G G extend across the top, and their free ends come t0- gether near the other end of the press at the center, while the levers G1 G1' pass under the center of the levers G G, and are provided with knife-edges, upon which the latter rest. Across the levers G G, a suitable distance from their free ends, is secured a bar, H, which bears againstthe under side of a lever, G2, the point of contact being a suitable knife-edge. The lever G2 bears at one end by a knife-edge against a block, I, held in a frame, J, which is attached to the end of the top C over 'the free vends of the levers G G, while the other end of the lever G2 bears against the lower end of a stem, f, to operate the indicator. K represents the indicator-case, with dial-plate L and hand or index h. Inside of the case is a slotted slide, m, cogged in the slot and operating a pinion, c', which is placed on the shaft of the index h. From the lower end of the slide m projects the stem f through a suitable box in the bottom of the case, and the slide is held down by a spring, l?, of the re quired tension.

By this means the amount of pressure on the press can be seen at any time.

Though our invention is applicable to all kinds of presses, we haveespecially designed it for such presses as are used for pressing, baling, and finishing woolens, shawls, hosiery, delaines, silks, &c.

All these goods require a uniformity of pressure, and heretofore there has been no way by which such uniformity could be obtained. It has always been guess-work, and hence a very common complaint to the manu,- facturer of such goods is that they are pressed too much or too little, or are n ot uniform. For this reason it becomes very necessary to know what pressure is on the press when in use.

Supposing that the press is rated at three hundred and fifty tons. If there is no indicator to denote the pressure t-he operator is liable to run over that limit in using the press, and consequently break the press, often at a considerable expense for repairs.

In pressing cotton or woolen goods in bales, the indicator gives a uniformity of pressing and of appearance, not injuring the goods by over pressure.

In finishing woolens it is of the first importance to have a perfectly uniform pressing. For instance, it is desired to press every press- 2 l50ll5 ing of cassixneres of a certain Weight per yard exactly the same power, say, seventyve tons, which is about theipressure required for cassimeres, and the `manufacturer runs on this class of goods one month; each pressing must have the exact pressure, otherwise the goods are not uniform in`v4 finish. The following months pressing' may be an entirely different class of goods, requiring two hundred 'and fty tons pressure, as with delaines. This unformity is essential the year round. Also, with cotton and Worsted hosieryr it is neces'- sary to have an equal and exact pressure.

There are notWo kinds of goods that will allow of the same amount of pressing. Our invention, by denoting the exact pressure of every pressing, enables the manufacturer to get the uniformity of appearance upon his C. H. WESTON. JOHN DENNIS.

Witnesses J. LADD, J As. M. BATTLEs. 

